Put glue on pizza and gasoline in your spaghetti! Google’s AI overviews rollout hasn’t been without issues. Despite these hiccups, the shift in search behavior driven by AI is undeniable.
This shift has led to the departure from traditional SEO metrics, forcing startups to ‘wake up’ and update their online strategies to keep up with changing search habits and remain competitive and visible in the digital space.
Google’s AI Overviews create challenges and opportunities for startup founders. As AI-generated summaries become more prevalent, they reduce the need for users to click through to websites, diminishing organic search traffic. This shift can make it harder for new businesses to gain visibility and attract customers through traditional SEO methods. Additionally, the reliance on AI for content generation and ranking might favor established brands with more data and resources, creating a steeper uphill battle for startups trying to carve out their niche.
On the flip side, AI Overviews will dramatically change search behavior which will turn into a massive opportunity for startups. With AI making the search experience much better, users will search in more natural language, with longer search queries as a result. All these search queries will need content, which opens a huge opportunity. If you can use AI to understand search behavior at scale and create relevant content for this search behavior, you can capture a massive organic traffic opportunity.
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Organic search is changing dramatically
While Google’s AI Overviews give users quick answers as it reduces the need for scrolling through multiple search results, it’s tricky for smaller brands that rely on organic search traffic.
Traditional SEO metrics, such as keyword rankings and backlinks, have been the cornerstone of digital marketing strategies. But, with AI Overviews, the focus is shifting towards content relevance and user engagement. Google’s AI prioritizes delivering precise answers to users’ queries, which means that the first result on the SERP might no longer be a website link but an AI-generated summary.
This shift reduces the visibility of organic search results, making it harder for all companies, regardless of size, to attract traffic through conventional SEO practices. As a result, these businesses need to rethink their digital marketing strategies and fully understand AI to stay competitive.
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AI Search is here to stay
AI-powered search is only the beginning of a significant and enduring shift in how search engines operate. Despite misleading and sometimes absurd AI-generated answers having led to many voices calling for Google to halt the rollout, the tech giant defends its position, claiming that, on an aggregate level, things are fine.
Despite these challenges, it’s unlikely that Google will back down from the rollout and announce it had made “more than a dozen technical improvements” to AI Overviews. This move is existential for Google as it faces increasing pressure from competitors like Perplexity and the rumored entry of OpenAI into the search market. Google appears willing to weather some dents to its brand in pursuit of maintaining its market dominance.
It seems like AI Overviews will have a full global rollout by the end of the year, signaling a dramatic change in search behavior worldwide. It’s clear that Google is committed to push forward despite the controversies and technical issues.
AI Overviews are not a passing trend but a permanent evolution in the search landscape, one that startups must adapt to maintain their digital visibility.
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What does the future of search look like?
As Google’s AI Overviews become more sophisticated, the traditional methods of driving traffic and gaining visibility will continue to evolve. While AI might never be 100% accurate, its ability to deliver quick, relevant answers is transforming user behavior.
The integration of AI into search results also has broader implications for the digital ecosystem. It could disrupt the current SEO industry, reduce the effectiveness of paid search ads, and shift the focus towards content quality and user engagement. Startups must be proactive in understanding these trends and developing strategies to navigate this new terrain.
How to prepare for the AI-driven future?
To stay visible on Google in this new era, startups must develop a clear AI strategy. I wanted to share a few tips that smaller companies can do to upgrade their strategy.
- Embrace AI-Powered Content Creation: Startups should leverage AI tools to create high-quality, relevant content that meets users’ needs. AI-driven content creation tools can help generate articles, website copy, blog posts, and social media content that is optimized for search engines and tailored to the interests of the target audience. By producing content that aligns with the types of queries users are likely to ask, small businesses can increase their chances of being featured in AI Overviews.
- Focus on User Experience: With the shift towards AI-generated answers, user experience becomes more critical than ever. Brands should ensure that their websites are user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and fast-loading. And incorporating structured data and schema markup can help Google’s AI understand the content better and increase the chances of being featured in overviews.
- Optimize for Voice Search: Voice search is becoming increasingly popular, and AI Overviews are likely to play a significant role in voice search results. Startups should optimize their content for voice search by using natural language and addressing common questions that users might ask. This approach can help capture the attention of users who prefer voice search over traditional text-based queries. Apple has already announced that Chat GPT is being integrated into all Apple Devices, meaning Siri will finally become useful.
- Leverage AI for SEO: AI-powered SEO tools can provide valuable insights into search trends, keyword performance, and competitor strategies. Startups should invest in these tools to stay ahead of the curve and make data-driven decisions. By understanding how AI interprets and ranks content, small businesses can refine their SEO strategies to align with the new search landscape.
- Build a Strong Brand Presence: While AI Overviews might reduce organic search traffic, building a strong brand presence can help mitigate this impact. Startups should focus on creating a consistent brand identity across all digital channels, including social media, email marketing, and content marketing. A strong brand presence can drive direct traffic and foster customer loyalty, reducing reliance on organic search.
- Monitor and Adapt: Regularly monitoring search trends, user behavior, and AI advancements can help small brands adapt their strategies in real-time. Flexibility and agility are key to staying relevant in the face of rapid technological changes.
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Google’s AI Overviews marks a significant turning point in how brands are discovered online. For startups, this shift represents a crucial wake-up call, presenting both challenges and opportunities. By embracing AI, prioritizing user experience, and remaining adaptable, small businesses can sustain their visibility. The key is to stay informed, proactive, and consistently refine strategies to meet the evolving demands of search behavior.
In a world where search behavior is changing forever, startups that harness AI and prioritize content relevance will not only survive but also thrive. Remember that Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, said that “AI will handle 95% of marketing work done by agencies and creatives.” The future of search is here, and it’s time for startups to fully embrace it.
Erik Wikander is the CEO and co-founder of Zupyak, a content marketing platform simplifying the process of creating SEO-optimized marketing content through generative AI.
